Status of GPS Precise Positioning Service Use in the Dept. of the Interior: PLGR + 96 and Laser Rangefinder Remote Positioning

Karl E. Brown

Abstract:	Civilian use of the Precise Positioning Service (PPS) has been authorized since August, 1994. The U.S. Dept. of the Interior has over 1000 PPS equipped receivers in use. Data fusion spans all aspects of GIS data analysis, mapping of natural and man-made structures and hazards, and management of a significant portion of public lands in the U.S. including the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Fusion of remote data to GPS utilizes laser rangefinders equipped with data output to the PLGR + 96 Federal Version receiver. Designed for military targeting, this tool serves civilians by granting access to remote positions that are either dangerous or difficult to reach or would require great effort or expense to access. Fire perimeter mapping from the air and bird nesting site mapping on cliff faces are clear examples. Both resources management and safety of life are helped by the increased accuracy provided by PPS access. Public visitors to National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and BLM recreation areas are protected by search and rescue teams, fire prevention patrols, and law enforcement personnel equipped with PPS/GPS. Growth in the use of PPS will slow as the National Differential network evolves; however, a large percentage of the wildlands managed by the Dept. of the Interior will be the last to receive seamless DGPS coverage. Topographic masking, canyons, and other blockages have made traditional methods of GPS and current augmentations less than adequate for use in these wildland areas. The Precise Positioning Service continues to provide a significant advantage to both land managers and visitors to public lands in the Dept. of the Interior.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 54th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1998) June 1 - 3, 1998 The Adams Mark Hotel Denver, CO
Pages:	281 - 284
Cite this article:	Brown, Karl E., "Status of GPS Precise Positioning Service Use in the Dept. of the Interior: PLGR + 96 and Laser Rangefinder Remote Positioning," Proceedings of the 54th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1998), Denver, CO, June 1998, pp. 281-284.
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